We buy documented surplus conductors when California sellers want to sell USE-2 wire, including copper and aluminum reels. Tell us whether the material is unused underground feeder stock, a project cut or previously installed copper so we can evaluate the right condition.
Several designations can appear on one conductor
USE means underground service entrance. RHH and RHW-2 are thermoset conductor designations: R identifies thermoset insulation, H refers to heat resistance, and W identifies moisture resistance. The -2 suffix denotes the applicable 90°C wet/dry rating; RHH is the high-heat dry-location designation.
Triple-rated USE-2/RHH/RHW-2 products combine several evaluated ratings on the same conductor. Common construction uses copper or aluminum with XLPE insulation, although approved elastomeric constructions also exist. The type letters do not identify the complete insulation compound without product documentation.
USE-2 alone is not a general indoor building-wire substitute. Additional appropriate ratings and installation requirements determine other uses. We classify surplus by what is actually marked; purchasers and end users remain responsible for confirming installation suitability.
Read each voltage beside its own type letters
Traditional USE-2 products commonly carry 600 V markings. Do not assume that every rating on a triple-rated wire shares the same voltage. Southwire's copper USE-2/RHH/RHW-2 specification identifies USE-2 at 600 V and RHH/RHW-2 at 1000 V.
| Legend detail | What to record | Avoid this assumption |
|---|---|---|
| USE-2 600V | Underground service-entrance rating and voltage | Every additional rating is also 600 V |
| RHH or RHW-2 1000V | The voltage attached to those designations | The USE-2 rating became 1000 V |
| PV WIRE and voltage | Separate PV identification if present | USE-2 alone proves PV certification |
| SUN RES | The actual sunlight marking | Every black conductor has it |
| CU or AL | Conductor metal and alloy where shown | Black insulation identifies the metal |
Solar-related inventory can also include 2000 V products with additional markings. The 2000 V designation must belong to the actual rating shown, not a seller's general description. Our PV wire buying page separates UL 4703 PV Wire from conductors described only as USE-2.
A 90°C insulation rating should not be presented as a circuit-ampacity guarantee. We do not determine a future installation's conductor sizing from a reel photo.
Distinguish USE-2 from nearby feeder families
Black XLPE insulation can make different feeders look similar. Identify XHHW-2 wire by XHHW-2 print, not by surface appearance. Photograph all additional ratings when a product carries more than one designation.
An assembled triplex or quadruplex may instead belong with secondary URD cable. URD is an application description, and some products have utility-only identification rather than a building-wire listing. Record every phase and neutral size instead of describing the assembly as one single conductor.
Likewise, SER and SEU cable is an aboveground service-entrance family with a different assembled construction. The phrase service entrance does not make SE and USE-2 equivalent products. Our broader wire and cable buying catalog routes mixed service and feeder lots by their actual type.
Sizes, colors and packages in underground surplus
Representative copper USE-2/RHH/RHW-2 products span 14 AWG through 1000 kcmil (MCM). Aluminum feeder ranges often begin at 6 or 4 AWG, depending on the product. Preserve aught-size notation such as 1/0 and 4/0 when making your list.
Mid-size conductors in the 8 through 1 AWG range can appear with pump feeds and equipment feeders. Larger aught and kcmil reels may come from service or project distribution work. Size alone does not establish whether a particular item is suitable for submerged pump service.
Black versions are common, including products evaluated for sunlight exposure. Other factory colors occur in related RHH/RHW-2 lines. Note green, white, gray or phase colors exactly, and distinguish permanent color from identification tape.
Typical put-ups include 500 ft and 1000 ft reels plus larger wooden master reels. Contractor-owned underground feeder cuts may have no original package. Record each remaining continuous length; the original reel's shipping footage does not measure a partial reel.
Where California USE-2 remnants come from
Service-lateral changes can leave unused conductor lengths after the planned route or equipment location changes. Solar construction can leave reels described as USE-2, RHW-2 or PV wire, but the project name cannot settle the product classification. Pump-feed and agricultural jobs are another context where complete markings matter.
We need to know who owns material from utility, municipal or irrigation-district work. Contractor possession is not the same as authority to sell. Keep invoices and project releases, and identify agency markings before arranging a sale.
For covered agency-owned material, California requires written certification of authorized disposition on agency letterhead. Our California copper-selling rules guide explains the distinction alongside scrap record and payment requirements. This is an informational summary, not legal advice; a general invoice does not automatically replace required agency certification.
How footage and condition affect a USE-2 offer
A known continuous underground feeder length has a different inventory use from a pile of cut pull ends. Original labels, manufacturer information and a readable rating sequence help narrow the possible reuse market. Unknown voltage or missing type print makes that assessment harder.
Tell us about water exposure, outdoor storage, scrapes, flattened insulation and damage at conductor ends. Moisture-resistant construction does not prove that a particular removed or damaged wire remains suitable for installation. Previously installed copper may instead be evaluated for scrap recovery.
Copper and aluminum are separate valuation categories. Gross reel weight contains insulation and packaging, so it cannot be reported as copper weight. We also consider location, loading access and the condition of the reel holding the remaining run.
Send a complete rating record, not just a black-wire photo
- A continuous set of close photos covering USE-2, RHH, RHW-2 and their individual voltage markings.
- Any PV WIRE, sunlight, burial or other additional legend text, without leaving out connecting words.
- Conductor size, CU or AL marking, alloy details and the manufacturer or catalog number.
- The original reel tag or matching purchase description, including its reel or lot identifier.
- Remaining footage per unspliced piece, supported by measurement or accessible endpoint marks.
- Factory insulation color, field tape and close views of existing end condition.
- Whether each piece was never installed, pulled from a service route or removed from other equipment.
- Your California city, loading constraints and ownership or agency-disposition documents as applicable.
Keep related paperwork attached to the correct inventory entry while the lot is under review. Our written offer identifies the agreed material before pickup, and payment method and timing are confirmed in writing rather than assumed from the word surplus.
Common questions
Does a USE-2 label prove that a reel is 2000 V PV wire?
It does not. USE-2 alone establishes neither a 2000 V rating nor UL 4703 PV Wire certification. Solar projects can contain several wire families with different markings. Send the actual PV WIRE designation and voltage if present, along with every additional conductor rating. A job description such as solar home-run wire is useful background but cannot replace the printed product identification.
Why can one wire show USE-2 600V and RHW-2 1000V?
Each designation has its own evaluated conditions. A manufacturer's product can carry several ratings, with a different voltage attached to each. Southwire's referenced copper family provides that exact example. Preserve the complete sequence and the word OR when photographing it. Listing the reel simply as 1000 V USE-2 would erase a meaningful distinction and could misidentify the product.
Can you evaluate a leftover service-lateral cut without its reel?
Yes, send the readable insulation legend, measured or supported continuous length, conductor metal and condition history. Explain whether it is an unused cut or a removed conductor, and include any purchase or project-release documents. A missing reel does not identify the material as scrap automatically, but uncertain footage, damage and weak traceability can limit its potential value as reusable inventory.